Application Process

Application Process

Understanding the Application Process

An interconnection and incentive rate application based on the size of the proposed generator must be submitted to the United Illuminating Company.

Residential Projects

Basic Interconnection Application

Residential Single Phase Certified inverter-Based Generating Facilities, 25kW (AC) or Less
This type of interconnection and incentive rate process is for customers connected via single phase service and the proposed generator must be a certified inverter-based generator with an AC name plate rating of 25kW or less.

Guidelines: Guidelines include IEEE 1547 (the DER interconnection standard).

Residential Renewable Energy Program - Project Eligibility

Eligibility is determined during the application process. To be eligible for one of the residential incentive rates, eligible projects must meet the following criteria:

  • Must be a current or future UI customer.
    • If the project is a New Construction project, customers must first submit an application to receive electric distribution service, following this link (hyperlink). New construction projects are not required to have an energy assessment in order to apply for the incentive rate.
  • Projects must not exceed 25 kW (AC)
  • Project must be on a 1-4 family property
  • The property must have had Home Energy Solutions, (HES), Home Energy Solutions Income Eligible (HES-IE) energy assessment after 2011, other qualifying assessment.
    • To schedule a HES or HES-IE assessment click here.

Affordable Multifamily Housing Participation Information

Tier I Properties will be verified as eligible for the RRES program if they are on the list of Tier I properties filed quarterly in the RRES Annual Review Docket for the Program Year in which the application is submitted.

Tier II Properties that are not NOAH will be verified as eligible for the RRES program if they are on the list of Tier II properties filed in the RRES Annual Review docket for the Program Year in which the application is submitted.

Tier II Properties that are NOAH will be verified as eligible for the RRES program through a self-certification process whereby landlords or entities responsible for the affordable housing facility certify that rents are affordable to households earning less than 80% of AMI. NOAH properties applying to the RRES program must submit a copy of the property’s rent roll with their application.

Tier III Properties will be verified as eligible for the RRES program if they are on the list of housing facilities seeking to be defined as “affordable housing” that do not meet the tier one or tier two thresholds submitted by the Agencies in the RRES Annual Review docket for the Program Year in which the application is submitted.

Additional information can be found in section XV. Appendix G: Multi-Family Affordable Housing. Page 44 of the Residential Renewable Energy Solutions program manual link below.  

Additional eligibility details are provided in the Residential Renewable Energy Solutions Program Manual.

If your project has already been received or approved for an incentive under the Connecticut Green Bank’s Residential Solar Investment Program (“RSIP”), the project is not eligible to participate in Residential Renewable Energy Solutions for the same solar PV project.

The Residential Renewable Energy Solutions program specifically applies to solar PV projects. Any other types of residential renewable energy projects seeking to apply to the Program should email res.renewableenergysolutions@uinet.com requesting an exception and the project will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

System Sizing:

Your installer will provide you with a system size recommendation based on your highest average annual consumption over the last 24 months. You may request additional allowances for the future installation of up to 2 electric vehicles and a whole-home heat pump system, as listed here:

  • Electric Vehicle (per vehicle): 3,285 kWh
  • Whole-home air source heat pump: 3,608 kWh
  • Whole home ground source heat pump: 2,458 kWh

How Do I Apply?

Customers, Installers, or other Authorized Agents on behalf of a customer, can submit an Interconnection and Incentive Rate Application package using the Portal link below. The submittal package should include the signed 25 kW or less Interconnection application and other required attachments.

PORTAL

Interconnection Application:

 

Non-Residential Projects

Advanced Interconnection Application

Fast Track & Study Process Generating Facilities

These types of interconnections and processes are primarily for non-certified inverter-based, induction, or synchronous generators producing between 25kW-20MW of energy.

There are two advance application process categories:

Fast Track Process

Interconnecting facilities such as induction, synchronous, certified inverter-based generators or other generators producing between 25kW-2MW and can successfully pass the screen criteria set forth in Section 4.2.1 of Connecticut State Guidelines qualify for the Fast Track Process.
If the proposed Interconnection fails the screens but can be determined to interconnect through the acceptance of supplemental modifications consistent with safety, reliability, and power quality standards, then may be approved to safely interconnect to UI’s Distribution System.

Study Process

Interconnecting facilities such as induction, synchronous, certified inverter-based generators or other generators producing between 2MW – 20MW or fails both Fast Track screen criteria and Supplemental Modifications. If it can be determined to interconnect through further (feasibility, facility, and Impact) studies and acceptance of additional modifications consistent with safety, reliability, and power quality standards, then it may be approved to safely interconnect to UI’s Distribution System.

Guidelines:  

Eligibility for Non-Residential Renewable Energy Solutions:

  • Be a current or future electric customer of UI. (The Customer must be currently, or in the case of New Construction, in the future, the Customer of Record with UI as part of the application).
  • Not be approved for or already receiving funding, grants or rebates under the Connecticut Green Bank (“CT Green Bank”) or any of its predecessors, the LREC/ZREC Program, any Shared Clean Energy Facility (“SCEF”) Program, any net metering or virtual net metering Program, any other PA 19-35 tariffs, any other PA 18-50 tariffs, any PA 21-162 tariffs, any other contract or Program of any kind in which UI purchases the Project’s energy, capacity or renewable attributes.
  • Certify that the project is not on a Shared Clean Energy Facility site, that the project has not received an agreement under the LREC/ZREC Program or is not currently a Not In-Service LREC/ZREC project, and that the project has not been split to qualify for a different size category.
  • Projects not to exceed 2,000 kW Nameplate Capacity for zero emission resources or 2,000 kW nameplate capacity for low emission resources.
  • Projects must meet the emission requirements for low emission and zero emission technologies and must qualify as a Class I renewable energy source.
  • Each Project must be located at a Project Site and be interconnected at or behind the EDC’s Delivery Point.
  • Projects proposed must seek and gain approval to interconnect to UI’s distribution system to which such system is interconnecting through the standard UI interconnection process and be metered by UI. Projects must meet Distribution Company Guidelines for Interconnection.

If there is an existing Project using the same class of technology at the same Project Site which was selected under this Program, the SCEF Program, or the LREC/ZREC Program with an agreement that was in effect prior to the submission of a Bid under a particular procurement year for this Program, a Bid for a new Project of the same class of technology will only be allowed if the existing Project is in-service or if a one-year calendar period has expired following termination of the existing tariff agreement.

The Bidder must certify site control to UI prior to submitting such Bid.

  • The total generation Bid for all awards cannot exceed the highest load over the five years prior to the date of Bid submission (does not include State, Municipal and Agricultural Customers.
  • Projects may not be determined by UI to have been “split,” or otherwise divided or arranged, into smaller Bids or separate Projects, to qualify at a smaller size tier, or to allow a Project over 2,000 kW.

Any subdivision of parcels must be recorded on the land records of the municipality in which such parcel is located prior to January 1 of the year of the solicitation. If multiple Bids are received for a parcel of land that was not subdivided before January 1 of the year of the solicitation to which the Bidder is responding, or for which a subdivision was not recorded with the municipality in which such parcel is located prior to January 1 of the year of the solicitation, only the lowest priced Bids, meeting the above requirements, will be eligible and all other Bids will be disqualified.

  • Only one Bid may be submitted per revenue meter, in a single solicitation. In other words, an applicant may only submit a bid under either the buy-all or netting tariff.

Projects must be constructed after the solicitation to which the Customer is responding.

The Non-Residential Renewable Energy Solutions Program applies to Solar, Fuel Cell, Anaerobic Digestion, and other Low Emission projects. Inquiries may be made to nres@uinet.com.

Additional eligibility details are provided in the Non-Residential Renewable Energy Solutions Program Rules and RFP documents.

Technical Requirements: Technical Requirements include IEEE 1547 (the DER interconnection standard).

Application:  

Non-Residential Competitive and Non-Competitive Procurement

More information regarding UI's Non-Residential Renewable Energy Solutions RFP can be found on our RFP for NRES page.


Application Documentation

A complete application package consists of the following components:

Incentive Documentation:

Forms required for all applications:

Forms required for direct payments to Tariff Payment Beneficiaries: Tariff contain additional details about these forms:

Interconnection Documentation:

  1. Complete Signed and Dated Application
  2. Processing Fees
  3. One Line Electrical Schematic
  4. Site Plan
  5. Proof of Insurance (Applies to Fast Track and Study Process only)
  6. Technical Specification Documents
  7. Evidence of Site Control (Applies to Fast Track and Study Process only)

Processing Fees

Process Rating Time* Application Fees Study Fees
Inverter Based 0-25 kW 15-30 $200 0
Fast Track 0-2 MW 15-45 $500 0
Study Process 2 MW 105-120 $1000 Actual Cost
Renewable Energy Solutions 0-25 kW   TBD  

 

* Please note time is measured in business days. Time varies depending on accuracy, complexity and design of application

One Line Electrical Schematic

Key Elements to illustrate are:

  • The utility voltage at the main panel (three- or single-phase)
  • The fuse symbol and size at the main panel feeding the inverter
  • The number and location of inverters with the manufacturer's name, the model number, and rating
  • The location of the utility revenue meter
  • The location of the isolation device
  • Title Block that includes but is not limited to, customer's name, address, UI account number, and revision number of drawing if applicable
  • Standard IEEE conventional symbols should be used to illustrate the inverters, circuit breakers, switches, relays, fuses, etc.

Site Plan

Key Elements:

  • The location of the site structures, metering, and transformer
  • The location of the AC Disconnect Switch with relationship to the UI meter
  • It must be clearly identified if the AC Disconnect Switch is not located within 10 ft of the UI meter

Proof of Insurance (Applies to Fast Track and Study only)

Key Elements:

  • Standard Accord Form
  • Policy Carrier
  • Policy Number
  • Policy Effective Dates
  • Applicable Minimum Limited Liability

Liability Insurance

Name Plate Rating Minimum Liability Insurance Required
Less than 100 kW $300,000
Greater than 100 kW to 1 MW $1,000,000

 

A complete application package can only be submitted through UI’s online portal. 

The application package cannot be entered into UI's project queue without a complete signed interconnection application and payment.

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